Literary Works from Diverse Perspectives

My debut novel, Finding Sanctuary, started out as a writing assignment for grad school. What later became my first chapter was a hastily written draft that I snatched off the printer minutes before I had to make the commute to DC for class. I didn’t give much thought to my characters or the setting I placed them in, let alone the tone or cadence of my writing. The following week, my professor handed back my writing assignment and asked to see me after class. I just knew she was going to tell me that my assignment was garbage, and that I would have to redo it.

I was wrong.

“Your characters and this scene are so vivid,” my professor said. “I was reading this wanting more.” (You could have bought me for a penny.) “This is your thesis,” she told me. I couldn’t fathom it. I was barely halfway through the master’s program at Johns Hopkins University, and my thesis was the furthest thing from my mind.

I left class that night imagining the possibilities for the characters and world I hastily created. Eventually, Finding Sanctuary sprang to life. It wasn’t instant. It took time to cultivate the essence of the story, but when I finally hit that writing sweet spot, I could see everything — from the beginning to the end of the story and all that was in between — so clearly.

Well, almost everything.

Envisioning what I wanted the cover of Finding Sanctuary to look like was much more difficult than I thought it would be. I bounced around some ideas with CP Patrick and the Field Order Press team, grateful that they gave me the latitude to come up with ideas. “It’s your book baby,” CP Patrick told me in one of our many phone conversations. “Take your time. Have fun with the process. You’ll know your cover when you see it.”

I tossed around a couple of ideas, but I was fixated on having some sort of artistic rendering of the distinctive row homes in South Baltimore, where much of Finding Sanctuary takes place. When we had our first concept call with Molaundo Jones of The Clever Agency, I mentioned a couple of ideas, one of them being a map of historic South Baltimore. I also considered the mid-Atlantic region as the story spans between Virginia and Maryland.

Molaundo was very thorough and patient during our concept call, listening to me as I vacillated between row homes and maps. It took CP nudging me before I even mentioned the third idea I had. Since Finding Sanctuary tells the story of three generations of women, I thought that could be a concept to consider for an alternate cover image, albeit far-fetched.

When Molaundo sent the renderings of the cover concepts we pitched, the concept I thought had the least potential was the one that took my breath away. As CP had told me – I’d know my cover when I saw it. And I did. Silhouettes of the three different generations of women, each a different shade of brown against an endless blue background — that was the cover I wanted for Finding Sanctuary. I couldn’t stop staring at it. These characters that I didn’t give much thought to in the beginning seemed to come to life in the drawing. Especially Ella, the woman holding the baby. The women that I birthed on the page and introduced to Molaundo only by way of synopsis, were exactly as I had envisioned them. Molaundo and his team even nailed it with the positioning of the women on the cover. Where and how the two women stand bears significance readers will understand when they read Finding Sanctuary.

Seeing the cover of Finding Sanctuary was a very surreal, emotional moment that marked an important milestone in this journey. It’s humbling to have a team of talented people who are so invested in my story. I’m ever so grateful to CP Patrick and Molaundo for shepherding me through the cover design process. I couldn’t be more proud of the finished product.

Finding Sanctuary will debut this fall. I hope readers will love the cover and novel as much as I do!

Authors often ask readers to leave reviews, especially new authors. But it’s not for the reasons some people might think. It has less to do with ego and more to do with receiving honest feedback, marketing opportunities and attracting new readers.

Honest Feedback
Publishing a book is an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. There’s the joy of “I did it!” Which is quickly followed by “Oh my God! People are going to read my book!” And we all know how cruel the Internet can be. Certainly, every author receives negative reviews. Go look at some of your favorite books or current best-sellers. There are rave reviews and soul-crushing reviews. Because that’s reality – not everyone is going to like everything. However, if you keep receiving the same feedback from readers, it could be helpful with your next book or may even require you to consider making revisions. I can assure you, nothing will burn like your first one-star review. Mine came from a reader that was upset there were so many chapters about slavery… in a book about the trans-Atlantic slave trade. I was livid! I wanted to do the very thing authors should not do – I wanted to respond. My fingertips were literally itching! Thankfully, Goodreads has mechanisms to prevent such disasters (there were several “we don’t advise this” and “are you sure you want to do this” warnings). Instead, I reached out to another seasoned author. She assured me – negative reviews are a part of the writer’s life. And often, they help you more than hurt you.

Marketing Opportunities
What many readers may not know is that reviews are often tied to marketing opportunities for authors. And not just favorable reviews – the number of reviews help too. This is particularly true for ebook subscription marketing opportunities as well as Amazon book pairings. One of the reasons The Truth About Awitihas done well is because of the number of reviews that the book has received. As a new author, I was able to receive a coveted marketing opportunity on BookBub. That opportunity introduced my novel to an entirely new audience (and the novel received more reviews!)

Attracting New Readers
Another benefit of leaving a review for an author is that reviews help attract new readers. Don’t you enjoy reading book reviews before making a purchase? If you really enjoyed reading a book, one of the most helpful things you can do is leave a review on Goodreads and the site where you purchased the book, such as Amazon, B&N, or even your favorite indie bookstore. Your review just might be the one that influences readers to purchase the book.

The next time you read a book, do the author a favor and leave a review because they help us more than you know!

Believe it or not, my novel started as an idea for a novella. I had a rough idea of the characters, but knew it would be a romance with a juicy reunion of sorts revealed midway. Slowly but surely, I started writing. Three hundred words one day. One thousand words the next. I looked on my computer one day and realized I had more than 50,000 words. It seemed like the story literally grew legs and started walking. I had no idea what I was doing or where the story was going to end up, but I was having fun with it. Too bad that didn’t last as long as I expected.

About two months into my writing high, I woke up one morning, prepared to get some words down on the page like I did every day for the past month and a half. My coffee was sitting on my left — my lucky side — and my laptop was up and ready to go. I was excited to get back into my characters’ world. I starting typing a paragraph, but something was off. A little voice in my head that I’ll call Nagging Nancy whispered to me, “that’s stupid,” “there’s no way anyone’s going to read this garbage,” “why even finish what you know won’t go anywhere?” Other writers discuss this little voice but thought it’d never happen to me this early in the process. I was nowhere near done. Low and behold, she was here, egging me on to not finish what I started.

Unfortunately, she convinced me.

I decided on that day to let my manuscript sit for a while. I made the plan to let it sit for two weeks and look back at it then. Those two weeks eventually turned into four months and I looked back at the manuscript with no clue of who the characters even were. A good friend of mine knew my plight and suggested for me to go back and read what I wrote, figure out the holes and move forward.

It turns out the months I took away from my work was what I needed. I read parts of the story (as objectively as I could) and started getting to know my characters again, but this time, I started working on their motivations, backgrounds, likes and dislikes. I wrote about 10 pages of background for my two main characters and broke down everything, from their favorite color to their zodiac signs. You know when writers talk about feeling for their characters and “crying for them?” We’re not totally crazy (okay, that’s a lie); we just spend heaps of time even after the background writing getting to know who they are and what they’re going to do next. If we’re really letting the characters lead the story, we’re not even always sure where they’re going to lead us.

My protagonist was originally written as a quiet, observant young woman with a calm demeanor, but as the story is unfolding, she’s not as docile and quiet as I originally thought. Now that I let her say what she wants and react the way she chooses, I’m having a lot more fun getting into the story and more excited about where she’s going to take me. I’ll let you know how she ultimately grows when I’m done.

I’m now at the second draft of my novel and my process is a little different from the one I used to write my first draft. For one, I’m a lot more organized with a dash of pantsing. I have the major plot points and story before the climax outlined. But, I’ve kept just enough of the story ambiguous for the characters to breathe; they’re ultimately driving the car to the destination.

The tool that has helped me sit down and finish this journey is implementing a daily 15-minute minimum. No matter how happy, sad, frustrated or elated I feel in the morning, I set a timer to write for 15 minutes without immediately looking at what I wrote after. Some days, I can’t wait for the timer to ring while other days, I find myself so engaged that I don’t hear when it goes off. Many writers may set word counts or page minimums, but I find the time requirement a lot better for me and not as pressure inducing.

As I continue writing, I appreciate that there’s not a set list of rules that you follow to guarantee success. While my method may work for me, you may be more of a page-driven plotter who thinks linearly, writing from point A to point Z in a matter of months. It doesn’t matter what method you ultimately choose. Let yourself go, listen to your characters and don’t let the nagging voice in your head stop you.

Jade Olivia is a freelance writer and editor who pens contemporary fiction for modern women. She’s currently working on her first novel, “Until Further Notice,” and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. When she’s not writing, she’s exploring new museum exhibits or perfecting her downward dog in yoga. You can follow her on Instagram @jadeoliviawrites or visit her personal website here.

With Facebook, Twitter, and the beloved #bookstagram community on Instagram, one can easily spend hours on social media. Which is great, except it isn’t. Writers need to spend hours writing (and no, tweets should not be factored into your daily word count *smile*). However, social media is necessary. And it’s more than marketing your work and building readership – engaging on social media means joining the writing community.

Writing is a very isolating craft, and often our solitude is purposeful. But there are times we need encouragement from our peers. Social media allows us to share in the highs and lows of the #writerslife and encourage each other along the way. It truly takes a village to finish and promote your work, especially your first book. Your family and friends will likely purchase your book as soon as it’s released. But your village will keep the momentum going. Without a doubt, there’s no way I would have had success with The Truth About Awiti and Dear Ancestors without my village. And I am very grateful for that.

So how does one engage in social media and complete their work-in-progress? Here are a few tips that work for me:

1. Time. Figure out the times of day that work best for you to engage with fellow writers, readers, and publishing houses. For me, early morning and early evening work best. Resist the urge to “play” on social media. I often keep my phone in another room when I am writing and trying to meet a tight deadline.

2. Content. We’ve all seen the beautiful feeds on Instagram with perfect pictures and filters. And we love them! Find the content that works best for you! If you have trouble coming up with content, join one of the many monthly challenges on Instagram and Twitter where there are themes and rules. Posting content shouldn’t be stressful. It should be fun, and reflect your work and interests.

3. Engage. Like. Comment. Promote. Retweet. Repost. Direct message. There are so many ways to engage with others on social media.